


As Quiet As Midnight

by Alecto (Unceasing_Anger)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28428687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unceasing_Anger/pseuds/Alecto
Summary: One moment, he was cuddled up next to his best friend. The next, he stilled as he realised that he was in love.
Relationships: Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky
Comments: 5
Kudos: 96





	As Quiet As Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> [Dream Solo - Max Richter](https://youtu.be/gp0iYF8gi5I)

A couple of weeks after the hectic World Championships, both the gold and silver medalists found themselves tucked away in a darkened apartment in one of the quieter districts of Almaty, shielded away from the bustling crowds out and about on a Friday evening. 

While Otabek dozed off, curled up beside Yuri, snoring slightly as if he had been the one to travel half the day away, Yuri laid there with his fingers running through Otabek's hair absentmindedly. He basked in the calmness, the quietness - the soft puffs of breath against his neck, the street light streaming into the bedroom, the comfortable warmth pressed close against his body, the familiar scent of sandalwood... 

_This was nice_ , Yuri thought to himself. The weeks following Worlds had been a hectic mess of doing rounds with his sponsorships after winning yet another gold and going with Lilia to one of her ballet master classes in Paris. Finally getting to wind down in Almaty and spend some much needed off-time with his best friend was relieving. 

In fact, if there was one thing he had been looking forward to since worlds ended - honestly, since the start of the year, it was getting to hang out with Otabek in person. Don’t get him wrong, it was nice to text, talk over facetime, and send snaps to each other all the time through the season - especially whenever the ISU were being dumb fucks and not assigning them to the same grand prix events, but nothing could beat spending time with the Kazakh properly. 

It was the supportive hand on the small of his back whenever they walked around. It was the soft brush of fingers against his face whenever a stray strand of hair fell. It was the warm leather under his touch whenever they rode around the streets of Almaty. It was the soft smiles whenever he demanded photos even though Otabek wasn’t a huge fan of taking photos. It was the quiet laughter whenever he made a snarky comment about some stupid shit easily forgotten. It was the blatant admiration in dark brown eyes whenever he landed an ultra-c element. It was the attentive silence whenever he ranted and rambled about anything and everything under the sun - from Viktor’s receding hairline being the reason why he’s such a slavedriver during training to a very cute cat with folded ears that he saw on his way to training.

Even through a screen or the speaker of his phone, Otabek was a steady presence. He was just always there - had always been there since that fateful day in Barcelona years ago.

A small hum escaped Yuri as he turned slightly towards Otabek, curling even closer to him. That made the older skater grumble slightly, shifting uneasily. With a huff, Yuri buried his fingers deeper into soft, dark locks and shushed him until Otabek settled again. When he finally did, he let out a breath and nuzzled closer, closing his eyes.

It was during his next inhale that it really, truly hit him as the comfortable scent of sandalwood just filled him entirely. 

He wouldn’t trade this away. Not for the world. Not for another gold medal. If it meant he could always have moments like this with Otabek, he would gladly give up skating then and there. He loved him. 

He stilled then. 

_I love him_ , he repeated to himself. _I love him_ , he repeated again, almost astonished at the ease the thought came to him. 

He loved Otabek far beyond skating, beyond winning competitions and setting new world records every time he came out, beyond the thrill of the cold biting his skin as he slammed down onto the hard surface after an attempt at yet another ultra-c element, far beyond the elation that filled him when his blade would catch properly after performing said element perfectly.

_What the fuck?_

He let out a disbelieving laugh. 

It wasn’t that he thought it was so out of left field that he did - just that it came like that, so quietly, so calmly - like he had always been in love with him and it just didn’t occur to him until then, almost as if it was just an _afterthought_.

There had been no vibrant colors exploding in his vision. There had been no violent realisation that rattled him to his core, no angelic choir that descended from the high heavens. 

It was just like a puzzle slotting into place - like putting on new glasses for the first time. 

It was just a slow and steady warmth spreading from his chest down to the very tips of his fingers.

It came as quietly and easily as a breath… then it just was.

… though he really should have known. Otabek was -

“Yura?” Otabek’s sleep-rough voice wrenched Yuri out of his thoughts, making him open his eyes.

“Did I wake you up?” Yuri found that his voice was far softer, far more breathless than he would have liked. 

In the dim lighting, he could almost see Otabek’s eyebrows furrow as he pulled his head back to look up at him. Contemplative green met concerned brown. “Is everything okay? Why are you still awake?”

Yuri stilled again. He had the option to brush away the concern and let Otabek continue sleeping against him, none the wiser about his epiphany... but he also had the option to simply tell him then and there. What could go wrong?

Besides, he had never lied to Otabek before, or kept quiet something huge and life-changing like this, at least - lies about feeling fine after a rigorous day of training and not minding waking up early for a morning call didn’t count. 

So why start now?

Choice made, he pulled Otabek closer then, his grasp on dark hair tightening, as he surged forward. 

Their mouths met - and it was like coming home. 

It was the welcoming warmth of his apartment after a long day of training. It was the soft purr from Potya when she nuzzled into his arms. It was the delicious pirozhkis his grandpa made huge batches of for him to bring back to Saint Petersburg. It was the comforting coldness of an ice rink, no matter where it was…. It was-

No, no, actually... That wasn’t entirely right, no. Those comparisons didn’t come close to what this was. 

_It was Otabek_ , Yuri corrected himself as the man seemed to have gotten over his shock at having his best friend kiss him so suddenly and began him back, sweet and tender and all sorts of perfect.

It was Otabek and his warm hands catching Yuri as he leapt into his arms either in the airport in Almaty or Moscow or Saint Petersburg, or in the hotel lobby in one of their shared competitions. It was his small smiles that seemed to be reserved just for him whenever they hung out, digitally or physically. It was the soft glint in dark eyes whenever Yuri turned to look at him. It was his ridiculous meticulousness at making sure to prepare the right tea for Yuri. It was the horrible attempts at pirozhkis that Yuri would always, always eat anyway and assure that it was fine that he forgot to season it - or whatever his mistake was that time. It was the occasional talkative mood when he’d share precious parts of himself to him that Yuri treasured so much. It was the countless playlists made with him in mind - whether he was the muse or if he’d just enjoy it. 

It was just Otabek - and that was… that was more than enough for Yuri.

Only when their bodies’ demands for air became greater than the newfound desire to keep kissing, did they pull away from each other, and even then Otabek seemed so intent to kiss Yuri again, despite his small gasps of breath.

“Beka…” Yuri laughed - giggled really, but he was Yuri Plisetsky, okay? he didn’t giggle for shit - against Otabek’s mouth. 

“Yura…” The man sounded just as breathless and winded as he felt and his diminutive fell so reverently from his mouth that Yuri leaned closer and pressed their foreheads together.

“I love you, Beka.” Voice barely above a whisper, he professed then. There was no need to hide it, not when he was certain he had already been in love with Otabek for a long time and only now just realised it properly, and especially not when Otabek had just kissed him back with a tenderness that made his heart leap for joy. 

His heart soared even higher when Otabek shifted closer and pressed another kiss to his lips. With a smile that he felt more than he saw, Otabek echoed his words, “I love you too, Yura.” 

Maybe tears pricked at Yuri’s eyes then, maybe a few did escape when he closed his eyes, and maybe a relieved breath escaped him too. It was all trivial details in the grand scheme of things. 

Otabek pressed even closer, shifting the two of them until Yuri found himself wrapped in his arms, head tucked under his chin, blond hair all smoothed out as deft fingers buried themselves into the long strands. 

They were back on square one, laying there in the dark of the bedroom, all wrapped up together - even closer than before, tucked away from the rest of Almaty, the rest of the world in their own little space. 

As the quietness and calmness settled in again, both brown and green eyes began to drift close this time, their breathing slowing and evening out. 

Yuri’s last thought before slumber claimed him was that they had all summer to figure this out. 

**Author's Note:**

> Pronouns are hard to keep track of.
> 
> Wrote this for the YoI Rare Pair Week but I barely used the day's prompt anyway so...
> 
> Do check out the fics in the [ Rare Pair Week 2021 collection](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Yoi_Rare_Pair_Week_2021) though!! :) 
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed this <3


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